Google published in November of 2008 a PDF guide to Search Engine Optimization. The SEO Guide has been recently updated to include new content and features that have changed within the guide since it was first published. The guide is now extended to 32 pages from its original 22 pages of information. You can download the Google SEO Guide here.

Of note the Google Search Engine Optimization Guide now has more examples of pictures to explain some of the featured narrative within the guide. In addition to this there is also mobile device techniques for search engine optimization that are explained.

Canadian owned and operated, Silentblast is a professional web design and development company in Toronto serving small and mid-sized companies in the GTA, Brampton, Vaughan, North York, Markham, Mississauga, Oakville, Richmond Hill, Scarborough and Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Silentblast also develops mobile web site design and development and mobile applications for the iPhone and other mobile phone platforms.

Website – www.silentblast.com

Silentblast Blog – www.silentblast.com/blog

Twitter – http://twitter.com/silentblast

Toronto Search Engine Optimization Services

One of the questions we get asked often at Silentblast Interactive is for a businesses ability to get found on the internet through the search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo which are the more popular search engines on the internet.

There are primarily two methods of SEO; one being the PPC (Pay Per Click) model whereby you set up an account with one of the search engines such as Google with their Google AdWords program.

The other method is through organic or natural ranking based on specific keywords, terms or phrases similar in method to Google AdWords program but your not paying to compete for specific words on a set budget amount and for users when they click on your specific ad, it costs you.

While there is debate about what a user tends to click on after performing a specific search as to whether they click on a PPC ad or a natural organic ranked website for specific terms, phrases or keywords; there can be no denial of the benefit of ranking for specific terms as it pertains to your business in a natural search friendly manner.

The challenges of organic search are that unlike the PPC model, there are no instant results. Natural search engine optimization is part of a strategy that is more long term and with the combined efforts of both the website development company, an SEO specialist or consultant either outsourced or within and the business that wishes to implement an SEO strategy.

One of the challenges to natural search engine optimization is there is not the control nor can there be true predictions to the ranking. While ultimately the goal is to be on page 1 and number 1 for specific keywords or terms, it takes time to achieve that end goal. This is more determined by factors such as the age of the domain, its content that speaks to the key words or phrases. The content being added on a regular basis to refresh and bring relevancy to those keywords and phrases on a regular schedule that is in effect continually building upon your site.

It takes time to become an authority and there are no short cuts when it comes to natural or organic search engine optimization. It is part of short term and long term strategies for business success on the internet.

Canadian owned and operated, Silentblast is a professional web design and development company in Toronto serving small and mid-sized companies in the GTA, Brampton, Vaughan, North York, Markham, Mississauga, Oakville, Richmond Hill, Scarborough and Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Silentblast also develops mobile web site design and development and mobile applications for the iPhone and other mobile phone platforms.

Website – www.silentblast.com

Silentblast Blog – www.silentblast.com/blog

Twitter – http://twitter.com/silentblast

Search Engine Optimization SEO - Google Instant

Google Instant is continuing to roll out and if you have for example a Google account such as a Gmail address in Canada you can see that Google Instant has already started to roll out at least within Canada. It has not rolled out in all countries as of yet.

What is Google Instant? Essentially it is a new search methodology enhancement that shows results as you type in the search bar. Results begin to appear as you type. Google is doing this to speed up web searches. Google believes that seeing changing search terms as you type will provide for more meaningful and instant feedback in helping you find what you are search for.

Is there going to be concerns with respect to SEO (Search Engine Optimization)? There potentially will be changes in searches from the local perspective; such as typing in “mortgage broker Toronto� or “Toronto mortgage broker� where if a site has been SEO’d on those search terms there should also be relevant content speaking to mortgages, brokers and within that context as well locality.

A lot of SEO consultants and firms still believe and rightfully so with the local organic search model in that for the most part; people either type in a service, or product as an example and then a location; or vice versa.

Google has suggested that Google Instant will potentially change how people do search. There are differences of opinion in the blogosphere on that issue that will take some time to note if there is a significant impact as it relates to SEO.

Silentblast Interactive - Toronto Web Design

Canadian owned and operated, Silentblast is a professional web design and development company in Toronto serving small and mid-sized companies in the GTA, Brampton, Vaughan, North York, Markham, Mississauga, Oakville, Richmond Hill, Scarborough and Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Silentblast also develops mobile web site design and development and mobile applications for the iPhone and other mobile phone platforms.

Website – www.silentblast.com

Silentblast Blog – www.silentblast.com/blog

Twitter – http://twitter.com/silentblast

Search Engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing employ technologies that index websites and their associated content across the internet. SEO is the combination of many things, from the strategy of the website, the content that is within it and traditional SEO efforts such as meta strategies to name a few.

Gaining rank position to the first page of search results is a priority for any website no matter its intended purpose. Often businesses desire for immediate results on the search engines and often this means employing tactics that within the respectable SEO community are not endorsed.

The dangers of employing any form of search engine trickery is that the possibility of your website being penalized are greater. Your site may lose its initial ranking and in a worse case scenario can even be banned.

Duplicate Content – this is the most common form of trickery and is often associated with landing pages that are trying to focus on a particular local market area. As an example, if your business is located in Toronto your entire site may be focused from an SEO perspective on the Toronto area. But you also want to market to the other areas that surround Toronto. So you create landing pages associated to Oshawa, Pickering, Richmond Hill and other surrounding communities with narrative that is similar in fashion to that which is across your main website. But rather than create unique content specific to those landing pages all you have done is copied the exact same narrative and changed the title tags of the page, the headers and obviously the location.

Eventually not only will your users who have found you figure out your not really creating dynamic and unique content, the search engines will eventually figure out you have created duplicate content and thusly the penalty will be lowered rankings on the search engines.

Stuffing Keywords – simply making a list of the keywords you think you should be found on the search engines and placing them on the website either as a massive internal linking list or not is still keyword stuffing. This is like making a virtual party pizza of all of the toppings you could ever imagine on a pizza and throwing them on thinking you have created something awesome. Same applies to keywords. While you would like to be found on the search engines for all possible keywords associated to your website; it is not going to happen ever.

Invisible Text – there are still websites that do this. Some sites don’t even care if the keywords are invisible. They are normally buried down at the footer (bottom) of a particular web page. The search engines have long figured out this tactic and is not normally employed by those who are trying to circumvent good SEO techniques and strategy.

Silentblast Interactive - Toronto Web Design

Canadian owned and operated, Silentblast is a professional web design and development company in Toronto serving small and mid-sized companies in the GTA, Brampton, Vaughan, North York, Markham, Mississauga, Oakville, Richmond Hill, Scarborough and Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Silentblast also develops mobile web site design and development and mobile applications for the iPhone and other mobile phone platforms.

Website – www.silentblast.com

Silentblast Blog – www.silentblast.com/blog

Twitter – http://twitter.com/silentblast

Silentblast Interactive - Video Content Management System

Amateur YouTube publishers upload their videos for a wide variety of reasons. Some do it for fun, others do it as a potential to become famous within the YouTube community. Professional publishers use these videos to drive traffic to their web sites, sell services, advertise products, attract new customers and make sales. When you browse the videos of amateurs and professionals on YouTube, you are viewing with millions of other users. Many companies are taking advantage of the high YouTube traffic for the sake of their own marketing campaigns and long term strategies to leverage social media for their businesses.

YouTube is ultimately a hosting website that allows free uploads of short clips and videos. YouTube has functions that allow you to measure the number of times your video was viewed, how many clickthroughs were generated that pushed to your website. YouTube traffic from your videos leads the viewers to your web site and thus allowing them to check out your products or services.

As simplified as this may sound, you need to understand the environment where your videos are distributed. While you can count on YouTube traffic to divert visitors to your web site, only a small percentage of viewers will find your video. As such, it is best that you follow certain optimization techniques for your videos so that tens of millions of people can find your video within YouTube. There are certain SEO techniques that can be utilized to increase the awareness of your videos. Remember that YouTube in itself is a search engine, in fact the second most popular search engine on the planet; next to it Google, which also owns YouTube.

YouTube traffic, with optimization of your videos, increases the chances of your videos to be visible within the YouTube website and being found easily through the search engines of other online communities. As YouTube is a community-oriented website, it allows viewers to vote, share, rate and distribute videos they like the most. Meaning, the larger your video’s audience becomes, the more traffic your website receives.

So at this juncture you should understand by now that YouTube can bring awareness to your business and potentially lead to increased sales and services you offer. So how do you do it?

At Silentblast we recommend several approaches to implementing video on your website. One is by leveraging YouTube by you creating an account on YouTube where the videos will be uploaded to. This will place essentially your content on the second most popular search engine on the internet.

If you don’t have the ability to shoot video, Silentblast has web video professionals that can shoot the video for you. It will be professionally done at your offices, or work sites. If you are not comfortable with being in front of the camera; you can hire a person to represent the company in your videos. Silentblast has clients that have hired a professional spokesperson to speak on your behalf; such as For Sale Direct as an example. There is nothing wrong with doing it; companies have been doing it for your years on television, radio and print magazines.

You will also want to have built in, a Content Management System on your website to handle videos; it provides content for your existing website as well as mitigates the bandwidth issues as the CMS is designed to pull the video from YouTube. You have the benefit of videos but integrated into your website with the same look and feel that your website currently has.

If you consider the cost of a 30 second television spot or have done that form of media advertising before you will soon realize that the potential for long term media market awareness is available for a fraction of the cost of the development and distribution of a commercial television spot.

Consider the benefits:

• Showcase your products and services
• Provide demonstrations of your products and services
• Educate potential clients and customers on your company, products and services
• Increase your companies awareness to the general public
• Increase Sales
  

Silentblast Interactive - Toronto Web Design and Development

Canadian owned and operated, Silentblast is a professional web design and development company in Toronto serving small and mid-sized companies in the GTA, Brampton, Vaughan, North York, Markham, Mississauga, Oakville, Richmond Hill, Scarborough and Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Silentblast also develops mobile web site design and development and mobile applications for the iPhone and other mobile phone platforms.

Website – www.silentblast.com

Silentblast Blog – www.silentblast.com/blog

Twitter – http://twitter.com/silentblast

Silentblast Interactive - Toronto Web Design and Development

Hello readers and welcome back to the Silentblast Blog. Today I am going to speak generally about business blogging. I know I have talked about blogs and blogging in general and why businesses should consider having a blog but I never really discussed business blogs from the perspective as part of a business plan.

As everyone should be generally aware a “business plan� is essentially a formal statement of planned business goals. The web design and development of a web presence for example can be included in a business plan. Even more important if the business tends to derive most of its revenue and deliverables from the internet; than the business plan will certainly have significant areas of the overall business plan where there is focus on internet, website development, search engine optimization or SEO as it’s commonly referred to and content development.

Somewhere definitely in the mix of will be most likely as well social media sites such as Twitter, FaceBook or LinkedIn and of course blogs. One of the things that have to be clear for business decision makers will be what is the focus, direction, goals and objectives for the business blog. What are the expectations of the blog as it pertains to the focus, direction, goals and objectives and then of course how the message is delivered and who delivers it?

From a business standpoint unless your business is comedy per say, the blog will tend to be more of an informative, editorial, press release sort of tone. While there are blogs that are satirical in nature or adult themed in both content and language that tends to not be the approach of business if they wish to incorporate a blog.
So for business the focus, direction, goals and objectives for a business blog can be some of the following if not more:

• Public Relations – mission statement, company vision, new developments

• Education and Product Information – giving your customers information on your products and services and even information on how to use them

• Development and Research – garnering feedback and suggestions from your clientele

• Community Development – developing a client community around your products and services, charitable efforts of your company

• Marketing and Sales – announcing new products and services to your customers

Blogging for business ultimately will take time and if there is no inherent commitment to invest time into the development of a business blog than it should not be high on the list of business priorities. All stakeholders within a business have to believe in the process. If you wish to establish yourself or are already established as a professional business, your blog has to reflect that.

Silentblast Interactive - Toronto Web Design and Development

Canadian owned and operated, Silentblast is a professional web design and development company in Toronto serving small and mid-sized companies in the GTA, Brampton, Vaughan, North York, Markham, Mississauga, Oakville, Richmond Hill, Scarborough and Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Silentblast also develops mobile web site design and development and mobile applications for the iPhone and other mobile phone platforms.

Website – www.silentblast.com

Silentblast Blog – www.silentblast.com/blog

Twitter – http://twitter.com/silentblast

Hello readers and welcome back to the Silentblast Blog. Today I am going to discuss your continual on-site web development for those that want simple steps to increasing their website content either through developing their own form of content with what they may already have in place on their website or with website development verticals that are relatively inexpensive yet can present significant long term ROI.

Content Management System

Today content managements systems are not as complex for the end user as they may have been in the past. The vast majority of content management systems are developed in a WYSIWYG input format. If your website is currently just static pages and beginning to look stale in terms of its time-line freshness; it might be time to greatly consider a Content Management System CMS to breathe new life into your website. Try something simple like adding a News and Events CMS module for example where you can add timely content as it happens in your company.

Graphics

Even art galleries move their pictures around and bring out different collections to freshen up their art display. Your website should be no different. Using royalty free graphics is a good idea to avoid copyright issues. Use graphics that speak to the topic and to the content if you are associating a graphic with a particular area. Build up a stable of graphics that you can do at least a switch out of graphics every 6 months to a year. Remember that your graphic selection can have an impact on your overall web design so it would probably be advisable to discuss this with your website development consultant.

Streaming Video

Did you know that YouTube is currently the 2^nd most popular search engine on the internet behind Google. Video is huge in today’s world. Case in point; everyone wants to know what companies are going to have those precious 30 second spots and what the message is going to be for the NFL Super Bowl games. A well planned, thought out, professionally done video can be greatly beneficial to your audience. But also, implementing a content management system module that handles video streaming can be done by you as well. The entrepreneurial video is highly popular; especially on YouTube where literally hundreds of thousands of people are just grabbing their video cameras or web-cams and making video.

Blogs

Firstly; the search engines love blogs. If you can write about a topic that speaks about your company, products and services; you can and should have a blog. Blogs are becoming very sophisticated. In fact some blogs are the primary website presence for a lot of people. You can add text, graphics, videos, links for example into a blog. It can be part of your website development and search engine optimization SEO strategy.

That is it for the time being Silentblast Blog readers. I will be back soon with more blog articles on how you can further enhance your website development process.

Silentblast Interactive - Toronto Web Design and Development

Canadian owned and operated, Silentblast is a professional web design and development company in Toronto serving small and mid-sized companies in the GTA, Brampton, Vaughan, North York, Markham, Mississauga, Oakville, Richmond Hill, Scarborough and Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Silentblast also develops mobile web site design and development and mobile applications for the iPhone and other mobile phone platforms.

Website – www.silentblast.com

Silentblast Blog – www.silentblast.com/blog

Twitter – http://twitter.com/silentblast

Hello Silentblast Blog readers. I get asked this question a few times whenever I get into discussions about blogs. Do I allow comments or not allow comments? I usually follow-up their question with further questions to get a greater sense of what they are trying to achieve with their blog, what is the focus or theme of the blog, do they have time to respond to comments and maintain the blog beyond just placing articles?

Blogs I think are great for many reasons. They have allowed the common person to express an opinion or view on literally anything and publish it at very little cost for the world to see. With expressing an opinion I still believe one has to take responsibility mind you but even still there are very few boundaries that have not been transcended by blogs.

I manage a couple of blogs actually. I manage this one and one that is part of a professional association where there is editorial, opinion, notification of events and so forth. With the Silentblast Blog there was a decision made to allow comments from people who visit the site and on the other blog I manage a decision was made to not allow comments.

While in essence the media; blogs, are the same. The message or theme is different. If your posts are written as such that invite commentary I think to allow comments can be positive. Ultimately you will pick and choose which comments to allow or disallow. No different really than mainstream media that allows comments to news.

If your blog is more informational in such things as specific products, services, or educational seminar details or courses, then allowing commentary is in my opinion a coin toss. Some have argued and commented on other blogs that a blog is just another website if comments are not allowed. But to me that is like saying a book is not a book unless it has a cover. Yes not quite complete by the definition of what we all know a book to be but still arguably a book. I would counter that a blog is absolutely on the web, and absolutely a site by virtue of a specific URL; so in essence a website. How that website interacts with its audience should be up to the discretion of the owners.

Some argue that by allowing comments it becomes a measuring stick to the popularity of your blog. Actually I would tend to favor the web statistics on the back end as the measuring stick. Others argue that if you don’t allow comments you are doing nothing more than preaching to the masses. My opinion on that is if you speak to something and you can captivate a live audience or a virtual one, it is in essence preaching.

Ultimately the final decision is up to the individuals or organizations that have incorporated a blog in either their web development or business strategies.  For Silentblast the strategy is primarily providing content that speaks to the many different facets of business and how the internet and having a web site can be more than just slapping up your virtual billboard on the net. Blogs can help your website presence with search engine optimization by providing relevant links and content to your customers and potential customers.

But a blog is also a medium of communication and if you use it for nothing other than virtual link farm than I believe the essence of blogs and blogging go completely out the window. I think you have to as a blog owner, stand in your audiences shoes at times and really think that despite the positive strategies and techniques for search engine rankings there can be down sides. I would personally not open a newspaper if for example every 10th word or so were highlighted in bright yellow or pink.  That would be annoying as… well you can add whatever word you feel is best. You probably wouldn’t bother reading papers ever again suffice to say. Personally and in my opinion the same applies to a blog.

Admittedly I do “some� back-linking into the main Silentblast website… look… I just did it. I use it sparingly. SEO purists would comment I don’t do enough. I won’t argue with that. I know from an SEO perspective I don’t provide maximum potential back-linking but I also believe a blog is a strategy that goes beyond pure search engine optimization.

Ultimately the decision for strategies on blogs and in particular to allow comments or not allow comments is up to the persons or the businesses operating a blog. I believe in blogs for business especially because of one thing and actually the most important thing in business.

Communicating with your customers.

Silentblast Interactive - Toronto Web Design and Development

Canadian owned and operated, Silentblast is a professional web design and development company in Toronto serving small and mid-sized companies in the GTA, Brampton, Vaughan, North York, Markham, Mississauga, Oakville, Richmond Hill, Scarborough and Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Silentblast also develops mobile web site design and development and mobile applications for the iPhone and other mobile phone platforms.

Website – www.silentblast.com

Silentblast Blog – www.silentblast.com/blog

Twitter – http://twitter.com/silentblast